Boat stabilization means manually operable, preferably by, or concurrently with, the tiller



y 3, 1966 H. 1. SCHUSTER ,03

BOAT STABILIZATION MEANS MANUALLY OPERABLE, PREFERABLY BY, OR CONCURRENTLY WITH, THE TILLER Filed April 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

L n zlfleeyli fiurse 9 QQ arm, m,m

'9 meme )5 May 3, 1966 H. 1. SCHUSTER 3,249,031

BOAT STABILIZATION MEANS MANUALLY OPERABLE, PREFERABLY BY, OR CONCURRENTLY WITH, THE TILLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 50, 1964 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3 249.081 BQAT STABILIZATIOKI MEANS MANUALLY OPER- ABLE, PREFERABLY BY, OR CONCURRENTLY WITH, THE TILLER Harry I. Schuster, turgeon Bay, Wis, assignor to Manufacturers Equipment Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Apr. 30, 1954, Ser. No. 363,777 12 Ciaims. (Cl. 114152) This invention relates to boat stabilization means manually operable, preferably by, or concurrently with, the tiller.

The boat stabilization means preferably employed comprises a vane or vanes disposed amidships close to a transverse plane through the center of mass and offset radially from a longitudinal axis drawn through said center. In the preferred arrangement illustrated, I employ at least two stabilization vanes symmetrically disposed in said plane at opposite sides of the keel and preferably projecting laterally as well as downwardly at an angle to the vertical. A stabilization vane so disposed has very little effect on the steering of the craft on which it is used and also has little or no effect on draft but exerts maximum effect in maintaining stability. One or another of the two vanes preferably employed is always in solid water regardless of the direction in which the craft is tending to tilt.

The use of vanes for stabilizing boats and ships is well-known but, primarily because of expense, practically none of the prior art devices for this purpose is appropriate for use on a pleasure boat of the type which can be controlled by one person. In most instances, the vanes are provided with automatic controls of one kind or another.

In pleasure boats which have no devices especially designed for stabilization, it is common practice for the person steering the boat to exert a measure of control by turning the boat into each Wave and turning it back onto course as the wave passes from beneath the boat. According to one exemplification of the present invention, the tiller has connections not merely with the rudder but also with the stabilization vanes so that the same movement of the steering wheel which is naturally used by the pilot for adjusting the rudder will bring about a cooperative stabilizing adjustment of the vanes. Desirably, means is provided for tie-clutching the vanes from steering wheel control when desired.

In another embodiment of the invention, the rotative movement of the steering Wheel is not communicated to the vanes but the wheel is mounted on the free end of a column which is pivoted for bodily movement, the latter movement being communicated to the vanes so that as the boat tends to tilt, the pilots intentional or unconscious response in maintaining his own equilibrium will cause pivotal movement of the column which has the steering wheel on its free upper end, thus communicating motion from the operators hands on the steering wheel not only to the rudder but also through the column and its connec tions to the vanes for the adjustment of the latter in opposition to the tilting of the boat which has occasioned these responses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a boat equipped with stabilization control in accordance with one embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the boat shown in FIG. 1, portions of the hull and cabin being broken away.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing stabilization vanes in normally centered position.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the stabilization vanes rotated as in compensation for tilt.

3,249,081 Patented May 3, 1966 FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view taken in transverse section on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary detail view taken in section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic vertical section showing a modified embodiment using hydraulic motion transmitting connections.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary detail view comparable to FIG. 5 and diagrammatically showing a modified embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation of the parts shown in FIG. 8 with portions thereof broken away.

The invention is obviously applicable to a wide variety of boats of all sizes. That shown comprises a hull 10 having a propeller 12 driven in any desired manner from engine 14. The boat is steered by means of any appropriate rudder 16. As shown, this is mounted behind the propeller 12 on a rudder post 18 actuated by a tiller which here comprises a steering wheel 20 on shaft 22. A sprocket 24 on tiller shaft 22 is connected by chain 26 to shaft 28 from which motion is communicated through bevel gearing 36 to a cross shaft 32. From cross shaft 32 motion is transmitted by gearing 34 to shaft 36 and thence through bevel gearing 38, cross shaft 40, bevel gearing 42, shaft 44 and gear set 46 to the rudder shaft 18.

Stabilizing vanes or fins 58 are mounted on opposite sides of the keel 48 on rock shafts 52 which project divergently downwardly through appropriate stuffing boxes 54. Any appropriate motion transmitting connec tion can be used to communicate motion from tiller shaft 22 to the vanes 58 but desirably the connections are such that they may be tie-clutched when desired. For example, I have shown rotatably mounted on the tiller shaft 22 a sprocket 56 about which passes a chain 58 guided by sprockets 60 and 62 to pass outwardly about sprockets 64 and 66 which are respectively carried by the input shafts 68 and 70 of the gear sets 72 and 74 which drive the respective rock shafts 52 upon which the vanes 50 are mounted (FIG. 5).

The sprocket 56 has jaws 76 with which the complementary jaws 78 of a shiftable clutch spool 80 are engageable. One of the clutch elements is splined to the tiller shaft to permit engagement and release. In the instant device, the clutch spool 80 has splined connection at 82 with the tiller shaft 22 and is moved between an engaged position and a disengaged position by the manually operable shifting lever 84 on rock shaft 85 which has an exposed handle 86. FIG. 6 shows the clutch engaged. Movement of the clutch coller 80 to the right by pulling handle 86 to the left will disengage the clutch so that further motion of the tiller shaft 22 will not be communicated to the stabilizing vanes 50.

FIG. 7 diagrammatically shows hydraulic motion transmitting connections from the tiller shaft to the rudder and stabilizing vane. First and second pumps 87 and 89 subject to tiller control transmit hydraulic liquid respectively through pipe 90 to the motor 92 for turning the rudder 16 and through pipe 94 to the respective motors 96 and 98 for turning the stabilizing vanes 50.

In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the tiller shaft 22 and steering wheel 23 are rotatably mounted at the upper end of a column 100 which is pivoted for bodily oscillation about the rock shaft 102 which is coaxial with the sprocket 104 in the motion transmission train between the tiller shaft 22 and the rudder. The motion transmission train for steering includes a chain 106, a chain 108 and bevel gearing 30 corresponding to that above described.

The column 100 is desirably maintained in a normally upright position by opposed compression springs 110 and 112. When the column is on center the stabilization vanes on rock shafts 52 will likewise be on center. If the column tilts in opposition to one of the centering springs, its tilting movement is communicated by means of a chain or cable 114 to the input shafts 116 and 118 of gear sets 72 and 74 connected to drive rock shafts 52 on which stabilization vanes are mounted as already described.

In the event that a boat equipped with controls of the type shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 starts to tilt, the helmsman using the tiller 20 can manipulate the rudder by rotating the wheel and can manipulate the vanes by moving the wheel laterally. He will unconsciously tend to maintain himself in an upright position. This response of his body will tend to hold the steering column upright, whereby tilting movement of the hull 10 with respect to the column will bring about the relative oscillation of the column on the axis of shaft 102, thereby communicating relative movement'from the wheel 20 both to the rudder and to the stabilizing fins in a direction to compensate for the tilt and to restore the boat to level.

Thus, in this device, as in the device previously described, the operator has only to manipulate the tiller in order to achieve control of tilt as well as control of the direction of travel. It is not only possible for this control to be exercised subconsciously but, obivously, the helmsman can exercise conscious control at any time by rotating the wheel 20 and at the same time thrusting it to one side or the other, as required to maintain stability. Moreover, since the device shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 makes it possible for the helmsman to use movements of his tiller for manually controlling either directional movement or tilt, or both together, this device has even greater advantage from the standpoint of selective operation than that shown in FIGS. 1 to 6.

I claim:

1. In a boat having directional control means including a rudder and tiller, the combination therewith of means for controlling lateral tilt, and motion transmitting connections normally complete from the tiller both to the rudder and to the means for controlling lateral tilt, for the concurrent control of lateral tilt and said rudder in a single operation of said tiller.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which means is provided for selective operation of the tiller for control of direction independently of control of tilt.

3. A combination according to claim I in which means is provided for the selective communication of motion to the tiller for control of tilt independently of control of direction.

4. In a boat having directional control means including a tiller, the combination therewith of means for controlling lateral tilt, and motion transmitting connections from the tiller to said controlling means for the concurrent control of lateral tilt and direction, the tiller comprising a tiller shaft, rudder-operating means connected with the shaft to receive motion therefrom, a clutch having a driving element on the shaft and a driven element having motion transmitting connection to the tilt controlling means, and mechanism for engaging and disengaging said elements selectively.

5. In a boat having directional control means including a tiller, the combination therewith of means for controlling lateral tilt, and motion transmitting connections from the tiller to said controlling means for the concurrent control of lateral tilt and direction, a steering column having means for supporting the tiller shaft, said steering column having mechanism for its pivotal support for oscillation about a fore and aft axis and having a free end portion upon which the tiller shaft is supported,

motion transmitting connections from said shaft to said 7. A combination boat stabilizing and steering device comprising the combination with a boat having a rudder, of at least one stabilizing rock shaft projecting laterally amidships, vane means for stabilizing the boat in a direction of lateral tilt and disposed externally of the boat on the rock shaft in a position in which it is operable to effect control of tilt without substantially affecting steering, a tiller having motion transmitting means connecting it with the rudder, and motion transmitting connections from the tiller to said rock shaft for the oscillation of the vane means manually from the tiller.

8. A device according to claim 7 in which a rotatable tiller shaft supports the tiller and the motion transmitted by the respective means originates in the manual rotation of said shaft by means of the tiller.

9. A device according to claim 7 in which means supports the tiller for rotation and the rotative movement of the tiller is communicated through the respective motion transmitting means to the rudder and the vane means respectively, the motion transmitting means between the tiller and the rock shaft including means for de-clutching the rock shaft from the tiller.

10. A device according to claim 7 in which the boat is provided with means for supporting the tiller for rotation and for lateral bodily translative movement, the motion transmitting means connecting the tiller with the rudder being adapted to receive rotative movement from the tiller, and the motion transmitting connection from the tiller to the rock shaft being adapted to receive bodily translative movement from the tiller, whereby the rudder and the vane means are subject to independent control by an operator manipulating the tiller respectively rotatively and translatively to effect such control, the motion transmitting connection to the rock shaft being adapted to actuate the vane means in a direction such that the operator will compensate without conscious attention on his part for a boat tilt which causes him to sway and thereby to occasion bodily lateral movement of the tiller.

11. A device according to claim 10 in which the tiller is rotatably mounted in a free end of a steering column having a portion pivoted on a longitudinal axis, whereby the free end of the column is oscillatable from side to side to effect the said translative movement of the tiller, a part of the column being included in the motion transmitting connections from the tiller to said rock shaft.

12. A stabilizing and steering device comprising the combination with a boat having a rudder, of stabilizing rock shafts projecting divergently downwardly amidships and provided with stabilizing vane means externally of the boat, a tiller having mounting means upon which it is rotatable and bodily movable laterally of the boat, motion transmitting connections for transmitting rotative tiller movement to the rudder, and motion transmitting connections for transmitting bodily lateral movement of the tiller to the respective rock shafts for the oscillation of said vane means, whereby the rudder and vane means are selectively subject to control by manipulation of said tiller, the connections for transmitting motion to the rock shafts upon bodily lateral movement of the tiller being adapted to tilt the boat in a direction to compensate for the swaying of an operator whose grasp of the tiller has occasioned such lateral movement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,529,036 3/1925 Richey 114l52 2,398,601 4/1946 Seifert 244-83 2,955,559 10/1960 Palmer et a1. l14--66.5 2,972,324 2/1961 Williams 114l63 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ANDREW H. FARRELL, FERGUS S. MIDDLETON,

Examiners. 

1. IN A BOAT HAVING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A RUDDER AND TILLER, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF MEANS FOR CONTROLLING LATERAL TILT, AND MOTION TRANSMITTING CONNECTIONS NORMALLY COMPLETE FROM THE TILLER BOTH TO THE RUDDER AND TO THE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING LATERAL TILT, FOR THE CONCURRENT CONTROL OF LATERAL TILT AND SAID RUDDER IN A SINGLE OPERATION OF SAID TILLER. 